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(No Model.)

G. H. CLARK.

BOOT 0R SHOE UPPER.

' N0. 302,238. Patented July 22, 1884.

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N. PETERS. PhoKwL'llhograplur, Washington. 0.6.

U ITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

enouen H. CLARK, or :eosron, MAssAoHnsnTtrs, Assre-Non TO CHARLES ALBERTSHAW, or SAME PLACE.

eooT OR SHOE uPeER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 302,238, dated July 22,1884.

Application filed April 14, 1884. (No model.)

To 'aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. CLARK, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Boot and Shoe Uppers, of which the following is adescription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any personskilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is asideelevation of a boot orshoe upper provided with my improvement, and 1Fig. 2a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Like letters of referen ee indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings.

My invention relates more especially to means for staying orstrengthening the side scams, or seams by which the vamp and quarters oftheboot or shoe are united at or near the sole to prevent the seams fromripping at that 2 5 point in lasting, or when the upper is molded orstretched in a molding-machine 'or former, and also to sustain the upperand keep it in proper position.

My improvement is also designed more cs- 3o pecially for use inconnection with the uppers of boots or shoes which are molded orstretched on the molding-machine secured to me by Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 293, 631, dated February 19, A. D. 1884:, but is well3 5 adapted for any other machine of like nature, and is also of greatservice in preventing the side seams of the upper from ripping at theshank during the process of lasting, or preparing the upper for lastingin the ordinary man- 40 ner. The inner stay also sustains the upper andprevents it from sagging or wrinkling at the shank, more especially inlight work which is not molded.

The nature and operation of the improve- 4 5 mentwill be readilyunderstood by all conversant with such matters from the following eX-planation. In the drawings, A represents the quarter, g B the vamp, andO the seam by which the stay D, and body of the upper.

quarter and vamp are united. A curved leather 5o stay, D, having itsupper edge, as, thin skived, is inserted on the inner side of the upperat the shank of the shoe, and also at the outer side of the shoe, Fig. 1representing this stay as applied to the shank, and Fig. 2 as applied tothe opposite side of the upper. The stay D is preferably secured inposition by the same seam that unites the vamp and quarter, the stay,vamp, and quarter being stitched through and through, as shown at 2. Itis also additionally secured by having its lower edge, cl, lasted inbetween the soles and fastened by pegs, nails, or stitches conjointlyjvith the upper. An auxiliary stay, E, is employed to giveadditional strength to the seam G at its lower end on either side of theupper. The auxiliary stay consists of a strong cord, 2;, laid across theseam G on the inner side of the stay D,near its lower edge, and securedthereto and to the upper by a row or series of stitches, z, 0 which passthrough and through said cord, the The cord is preferably laid in twoparallel sections, the sections being connected at the ends on, asshown, and is lasted in between the sole and upper when the boot or shoeis lasted, so that the stitches by which it is secured do not show.

The stay D may be omitted, if desired, and the stay E used alone eitherat the outside or shank of the shoe, or the stay E maybe omit- 8o ted,and the stay D used alouein either place; but I prefer to use bothstays, especially at the shank, where the greatest strain comes inmolding the upper on the machine, as well as in lasting it by theordinary process; but both stays may be omitted at the outer side of theshoe, and either one or both used at the shank, if preferred, withoutentirely departing from the spirit of my invention. The stay E may alsobe composed of one or more sections, and the end pieces, m, omitted, ifdesired.

I do not confine myself to attaching the stay D to the upper by means ofthe seam O, as it may be secured by an independent row or series ofstitches oneither side of said seam or 9 5 along its lower edge; neitherdo I confine myself to constructing the stay E of cord, as a strip orpiece of leather, or any other suitable material, may be used insteadand perform I en any of the seams in the upper where it cansubstantially the same functions, although I deem the cord preferable,as it will yield slightly, and is still sufficiently rigid and strong toprevent the seam from ripping, and for that reason, when but one stay isemployed, Iprefer the stay E.

It will be obvious that when the stay E is stitched to the upper by therow or series of stitches i, which pass through it and the stay D, theseam G will be greatly strengthened at that point irrespective of thestrength imparted by the auxiliary stay E. Therefore when the stay E isomitted and the stay D used I prefer to stitch the last-named stay tothe upper by one or more rows or series of stitches corresponding withthe stitches i, disposed near its lower edge,and which pass-across theseam 0, this forminginitself an auxiliary stay.

The stay E, either alone or in conjunction with the stay D, may beemployed to strengthbe applied; and I do not therefore confine myself tousing it at the side seams exclusively. It is also useful instrengthening the seam, whether the upper is molded or not.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. A boot or shoeupper provided with a stay at the side seam or seams near the lower edgeof the upper, consisting of a cord laid across the seam or seams andstitched to the upper, substantially as set forth.

2. A stay for the seams of boot or shoe uppers, consisting of a cordlaid across the seam and an additional stay of leather covering the cordor placed outside thereof, each secured to the upper, substantially asspecified.

' GEORGE E. CLARK.

\Vitnesses:

O. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE.

